Doctors have one duty to fulfill above all others: the alleviation of suffering. Implicit in this duty is the attempt to correct all forms of malady, including the gestational anomaly leading to the birth of conjoined twins. Abortion in such a case would be a eugenic pre-emptive strike perhaps based on the hopeless view that medical science will not exceed its current bounds of achievement. Ken Walker's views on the recent birth of twin girls joined at the head in British Columbia1 sadly reflect the attitude that such situations are beyond our ability to manage, now and forever. Of course, this would be the case if the trial-and-error approach (the essence of scientific progress) were to be abandoned.

The smiles of the conjoined twins' doctors1 reflect hope and courage. Medical anomalies, particularly of this kind, will remain a tragedy only if we abandon our gifts as humans to discover and improve.